Paleolithic Diet, CrossFit, Kettlebells

This past week I got my first taste of powerlifting in a CrossFit setting. One of the things I like about CrossFit is that it’s such a great amalgamation of different training styles and disciplines. It truly is a hybrid system that incorporates the best of many, many different methods and theories and makes them work as a whole.

Anyway, the big question I have to work out for myself is: “How do I get the technique practice time I feel I need on the big powerlifts AND maintain the recovery ability to keep hitting the CrossFit WODs at least 3 times a week?” This, along with training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 2-3 times a week AND teaching 3 Kettlebell classes a week.

Just for fun, I ran through some calculations. Before I got started with regular CrossFit training, I had worked out a conservative 28 week powerlifting cycle for myself. I say conservative because I was going to “peak” my bench presses at 8 X 201 at the end of the cycle. The reasoning here was that I would build up my poundages SLOWLY and plan to keep my gains coming for a long time - about 2 years.

During my last layoff I read a lot of stuff by Stuart McRobert and Brooks Kubik and came to the realization that, while I was able to make fast gains often, my retention and consolidation of those gains wasn’t so good. My plan going forward was to gain much more slowly over a longer period of time rather than gaining quickly for a short period and not being able to retain the strength gain long term. On review, I also realized that I had a history of falling into overtraining and stagnation, so I decided to go for “slow and steady” over a long period as Stuart and Brooks advocate.

Below, I’m using the 3 X 3 bench press sets I did yesterday at CrossFit USA as an example.

Using the tables Stuart McRobert gives in Beyond Brawn, I converted my 3 rep max bench press from yesterday to its equivalent 8 rep max:

3 X 165 = 8 X 142

I also converted my last 8 rep set to it’s equivalent 3 rep max using the same tables from McRobert:

8 X 121 = 3 X 140

This is saying that, in effect, I increased my max weight by about 25lbs from where I last bench pressed (based on 3 rep sets) with the pressing I did yesterday at CrossFit USA. Obviously, you only make that kind of gain when you have something left in the tank on your training poundages. Adding 25lbs to a true max in one session would be nearly impossible for a drug-free lifter.

Taking this one step further, I looked up the poundage progressions that I laid out for the cycle and I was scheduled to do 8 X 141 on May 25. If I compare that to the adjusted 8 X 142 that I did at CrossFit USA, I can assume I’m more or less on schedule for what I was planning to do before ditching my powerlifting cycle and going after CrossFit full bore.

What this means going forward:

1. There is some type of conditioning or “knock on effect” (as Stuart McRobert calls it) from training CrossFit style. This is evident from the fact that my bench poundage progression was pretty much on schedule even though I wasn’t actively benching. Just how far this effect goes and how to work with it I have no idea at the moment.
2. I need to decide how I’m going to keep my powerlifts progressing within the framework Merle is setting forth at CrossFit USA. Merle has already told me he’s going to continue to train more of the powerlifts at CrossFit USA. What I need to do is decide how I want to manage my poundage progressions and technique practice while still being “ready for anything” when I walk in the door at Merle’s.
3. If I’m training powerlifts for poundage progression and technique on my own, I need to be able to convert my current poundages at whatever set and rep scheme I’m using to whatever the CrossFit WOD is asking for. If I’m training 20 rep squats or 8 rep bench presses on my own, I need to be able to convert whatever number I’m using on those to the 5, 3 or 1 rep number I need for the WOD at CrossFit USA.
4. I need to figure out how I can get in the technique and poundage progression work I feel I need and fit that together with the lower rep “max” sets Merle is incorporating into the WODs at his box.
5. This is going to be fun!

ttys

Adam